Finding Your Identity
Zest Theatre and Half Moon
co-production
What Once Was Ours
Juice
Festival at Newcastle
A series of
interviews with 215 young people aged between 14-18 from four different
communities led to the creation of What
Once Was Ours. This including a number from Newcastle & Gateshead who
discussed the experiences of living in Britain
The show
was performed as part of the region’s Juice Festival and the organisers had
brought together a group of 10 people aged 14-25 to produce a response to What Once Was Ours. They had seen the
show last week in Sunderland and then met 3 days ago to create a series of situational drama that
looked at the issues as they saw it. The fact that 10 people who had never
previously met could create half an hours theatre in just 3 days whilst working
with Zest Theatre’s Toby Ealden is impressive in itself.
The response
looks at racism, homophobia, fear of teenagers and the struggle of identity.
The audience watch two performers outside in a scene about racism and exclusion
which used the colour of their shirts as the area of contention. It was
effectively a silent production as they were outside and it worked as a piece
of physical theatre. Later in the show they were unable to join us inside as
the door was locked - a clever analogy for troubles abroad that we are aware of
but some of us don’t want the victims joining us in our country.
The action
then moved to a tight space representing a lift. It is unusual to be so close
to the rest of the audience, everyone was packed in like a rush hour commuter
train. The two actors had a loud conversation about a third person called Brian
and it looked at attitudes towards homophobia and the labels that we give
people.
It was a
relief to then move to the art corridor which was doubling as a Metro train.
The remaining members of the young troupe then addressed issues of racism and prejudice
against young people. Based upon a real event in which a young person was
verbally abused on a bus when reading a book about Noble Peace Prize winner Malala
Yousafzai, the audience empathised with the difficulties she faced. Someone
objected to the book and screamed “Why are you reading a book about a
terrorist?” and soon the bus was chanting abuse at her.
Next we are
asked to consider if we are too quick to make assumptions about young people we
meet on public transport. Perhaps they are working in the community trying to
make a difference and it is too easy to assume they are up to no good. There
was humorous moments too as it finishes with the annoyance of sitting next to
someone who is eating on the train providing light relief.
As a
curtain raiser to the main event, the team of 10 did really well and the
audience were getting used to becoming a part of the action as we entered Stage
3 for the main event.
The What Once Was Ours set consisted of a
number of large foam bocks and the audience was asked to sit on and around the
set and the action took place around us. This was 360o theatre
indeed. Callum (Jaz Hutchins) appears on
the set asking for directions from the audience. He finds the house that he is
looking for and Katie (Pippa Beckwith) is at home. They share the same father
and Callum wants to speak to him however his Dad is in Spain
Issues of
childhood, racism and abandonment are chewed over and even a game of twister
takes place in an emotionally charged show. Between the scenes recordings of
the original interviews are played through the speakers that are around the
set. They often make for uncomfortable hearing as the experiences of young
people living in post-Brexit vote Britain
The
lighting design by Phil Clarke included 4 tall poles that were able to flash in
sync with the voice recordings played thus taking the place of the original
speakers in the group.
There are
some lighter moments in the show that bring some welcome relief. There are also
those troubling moments in the script. The ex-pat living in Spain
Pippa
Beckwith and Jaz Hutchins skilfully interact with the set and each other even
though the members of the audience are dotted around the stage. Director Toby
Ealden gets a lively performance out of the two talented actors: we see there is a relationship but it is
under historic strain.
The
elements of prejudice in Katie’s family are brought out into the open without
much comment from Callum and that leaves it for the audience to make their own
mind up. In this respect What Once Was
Ours is an important piece about the British society that we live in today.
The well produced show was both entertaining and thought provoking. It is a
shame it wasn’t in town for a longer run.
Review by Stephen Oliver .
Photos by
Phil Crow
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